Read on for the lowdown on the clash with Spurs.
Son returns
Heung-Min Son, who made 87 appearances and scored 29 goals for Bayer 04 from 2013 to 2015, returns to his old stomping ground with Tottenham. The South Korean has already netted four goals in the Premier League this term plus the winner in the 1-0 victory away to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League. And he was recently the first Asian footballer to be named player of the month in England. “It’s a special game for me and I was excited when I heard about the draw. I had a good time at Leverkusen and I’m looking forward to meeting my old teammates,” said Sonny.
High-octane fixture
The game between Bayer 04 and Spurs promises to be a high quality encounter. Tottenham are the only team in the Premier League, to be unbeaten after eight games this term. And the approach of both teams suggests this should be a high-octane fixture. The Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed his respect for his fellow manager Roger Schmidt. “I admire him a lot and I’ve seen a lot of his games from his time at Salzburg and Leverkusen. We both favour a similar style: aggressive, full of running and always looking to play on the front foot. This could be a very entertaining fixture for the fans,” said the Argentinian at the pre-match press conference.
Berbo scores against old club
Bayer 04 and Tottenham have met once before on the European stage. Spurs won 1-0 at the BayArena in the group stage of the UEFA Cup in 2006/07 – thanks to a strike from Dimitar Berbatov, who spent five years at the Werkself before his move to London. The Bulgaria striker did not celebrate his goal out of respect for the Bayer 04 fans and his former teammates. There is certainly room for improvement in Bayer 04’s record in matches against English teams: Leverkusen have only won three of the 19 European games against opposition from the Premier League with the other matches ending in twelve defeats and four draws. However, Tottenham have only won four of the last 13 European encounters with teams from Germany (plus two draws and seven defeats).
Fortress BayArena
The Werkself are particularly resilient at home in Europe and have not lost on home turf in nearly two years. The last defeat on the international stage was a 1-0 reverse against AS Monaco in November 2014. Since then, Bayer 04 have clocked up four wins and four draws. The club record at Leverkusen is nine home games unbeaten on the bounce (between 1995 and 1998).
Injury update
In addition to the England striker Harry Kane (ankle problem) Spurs are also likely to be without the services of Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld due to a knee injury. Bayer 04 have three long-term absentees in Karim Bellarabi, Joel Pohjanpalo and Vladlen Yurchenko. It remains to be seen whether the skipper Lars Bender will be fit for tonight’s match.
No to Racism
UEFA are once again running their ‘No to Racism’ campaign against discrimination supported by the stars and top clubs – for the first time in the UEFA Women’s Champions League as well. The campaign runs from 6 to 20 October at 60 matches in the main UEFA club competitions with the aim of combating discrimination and celebrating diversity. Anti racism ads will be broadcast during half-time at the various stadiums. All teams will come onto the pitch accompanied by children wearing t-shirts bearing the slogan ‘No to Racism’ and the two captains will wear special armbands.
Tickets still available
There are still some tickets available for the big match against Spurs in Europe’s premier club competition. The ticket offices at the BayArena are open tonight. Category IV (€42, concessions €28) and category II (€60, concessions €44) tickets are available in the Leverkusen section in blocks B1, F6 and F8.
With sixth place at the end of the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign, Bayer 04 ended a season in the top third of the table for the ninth time in a row. While the Werkself were narrowly eliminated in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 by eventual finalists Arsenal, the Black and Reds reached the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal for the third season in succession. As in previous years, you once again have the opportunity to vote for your Player of the Season. Voting is exclusively for Bayer 04 Club members and only via the Bayer 04 app up to and including 11 June.
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With 46 points in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga, the Bayer 04 Women’s team once again broke the previous season's club record and ended up in fifth place - 15 wins is also a record. As in previous years, you now have the opportunity to vote for your Player of the Season. Voting is open exclusively to Bayer 04 Club members and only via the Bayer 04 app by 11 June.
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Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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